Of Heroes and Villains
by condesce
Summary: Alfred Jones is a merchant sailor who sells weapons to be used against pirates. Arthur Kirkland is a well known dangerous pirate captain who is feared by many. What happens when their paths cross? / AU USUK. Rated for later chapters.
1. 1

Alfred F. Jones stood on the bow of his ship, staring out into the sunset. A small smile graced his handsome features and the glow from the setting sun brought out the blue in his eyes. Today had been a good day, Alfred decided. He'd made a few trades and was well on his way to becoming one of the richest merchants out there.

Alfred was a merchant sailor, and he sold goods that would protect others from pirates. Alfred hated pirates with every fibre of his being, and nothing would ever change that. To Alfred, pirates were scum of the earth, they didn't abide by the law and he thought that they should all be brought to justice.

Of course he couldn't do much, him being only one person. Yes he had fought pirates during his time on the seas and he had won almost every battle. Because he was the hero, Alfred would love to see every pirate eliminated so that others could sail the seas with no fear.

Alfred sighed lightly and moved away from where he was standing and walked across the deck of his ship. The gentle sea breeze blew through his blond hair and he closed his eyes for a second before opening them.

"Alfred?"

He turned to see his twin brother Matthew watching him. Alfred smiled he best smile and walked towards his brother. Matthew returned the smile and said in his quiet voice, "We had a good haul today."

"Yeah, we did. If we continue like this we'll be made!" Alfred looked excited, thinking of the future filled with riches that could be used to bring the pirates down. Matthew smiled at his brother's expression and he led the way inside. Alfred followed, "You did good today Matt. Those pirates were tough."

Matthew blushed, "I did my best…"

"Don't be modest, you were awesome!"

Matthew looked down and didn't say anything. Alfred animatedly recalled the fight between the pirate and his brother earlier that day. Once again their ship had been attacked. They were a prime target for pirates, since Alfred was selling weapons to use against them. Matthew laughed quietly at his brother.

They both reached their cabins and Alfred smiled at his brother, "'Night, Matt. I'll see you in the morning! Ready for another good day?"

"You bet," Matthew replied, smiling. Alfred saluted him and walked into his cabin and shut the door. Matthew sighed, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Captain Arthur Kirkland wasn't the most patient of men. Watching his first mate, Francis Bonnefoy steer the ship behind the merchants ship ahead of them, he sighed in frustration, "Hurry, would you? I don't want to loose them."

"Patience, petit fleur, one can only go so fast," Francis replied with a smile.

Arthur sighed again and adjusted his hat. His green eyes were fixed on the merchant boat ahead of them and Francis interrupted his train of thought, "Do you think we can take them? The boy has a reputation for slaying any pirates that try to take his ship."

"Of course we can, do you think I would have us tailing them if I didn't?" Arthur replied curtly, "Besides, what swordsman skills can match my own?"

Francis pursed his lips, not finding an answer, which made Arthur satisfied, "Exactly."

"We must be careful though, Captain. We mustn't underestimate them,"

"Of course not, Francis," Arthur's tone of voice showed that he didn't really mean it. Francis, not wanting to argue with his captain, sighed lightly and inhaled deeply, "Nice night…" he wanted to change the subject.

"Indeed, when should we catch up?"

Francis subject change was a failure; "We should be on them by dawn."

"Excellent."

Francis sighed once more and looked ahead, keeping his gaze firmly ahead. It was not yet dark and he could still see the ship in the distance.

"Captain… should we loose sight of the ship, what should we do?

"We are not going to loose it. Do you understand me?"

"Oui…" Francis' eyes widened as he was smacked across the face. He staggered slightly. Arthur glared at him.

"You will not use that inferior language around me, understand?" He hissed. Francis held his cheek and nodded, moving back to the wheel, "Yes… I understand…"

"Good," Arthur walked away to his cabin. Francis muttered a curse word under his breath and continued steering.

Arthur lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He scowled. He would get that ship. He would kill that Alfred Jones. He would make sure of it.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, okay I dunno where this came from xD I just thought it up when I was listening to Alestorm. I'm not sure how long I want this to be yet, obviously this is just an introduction and I'll try to write longer chapters in the future. This is AU and the pairing is USUK :) Uh, so yeah, if you could review that would really help. It boosts my confidence~

Iggy :)


	2. 2

Arthur stood next to Francis and watched the merchant ship with a small cruel smirk.

"We're gaining…" Francis told him. The green-eyed pirate nodded, "We are. Are the cannons ready?"

"Yes, as you commanded," Francis told him stiffly. He was still bitter about the smack he'd received from Arthur the previous night. The Captain nodded again.

"Not long now, Alfred Jones… not long now…"

* * *

Alfred awoke to an ear-splitting crack. He shot up like a bullet and scrambled around in his bed sheets, attempting to free himself from his tangled mess. He cursed loudly as he got himself free and he grabbed whatever clothes he could find. Another crack and the room shook. Alfred automatically covered his ears with his hands and he could only stare wide-eyed at the hole in his cabin wall.

He knew what was happening. Grabbing his sword, he ran out his cabin and to the deck. Matthew was attempting to control the chaos that was his brother's crewmembers but the timid man was failing. The crew were just too scared.

Alfred looked over to his right and saw it. A huge pirate galleon- bigger than any one he'd ever seen before- sailed next to his own ship. He caught sight of the name of the galleon: _Britannia_.

He knew that ship's name. She was famous around these parts. Many feared her Captain and this was the kind of pirate that Alfred hated the most. He grit his teeth and gripped his sword tightly. The cannons sounded again and the ship rocked from the force of which she was hit. Alfred glared. How dare they do this to his ship!

One more hit from the cannon was the last straw for Alfred. He jumped around to see his brother running away and his eyes widened. He realised that they were all going to die if this keeps up. Alfred stood tall and shouted, "Everyone! Stand your ground!"

* * *

Francis watched the chaos unfold. He looked at his captain and said, "Orders?"

"I want every last one of them killed. But leave Alfred. He's mine," Arthur replied.

"Yes, Captain," Francis nodded. He stepped forward and repeated the orders to the rest of the crew. The crew hollered and waved their swords and grabbed the roped, using them to swing onto the smaller ship. Arthur and Francis stayed behind.

* * *

Alfred watched the pirates invade his ship and anger he had never experienced before rose up inside of him. He ran at the nearest pirate and brought his sword through his stomach. The pirate cried out the fell to the floor, dead.

The rest of Alfred's crew followed suit, however, the pirates were much more skilled than they were and it soon became an unfair fight.

Alfred killed a few more pirates and he stopped, then turned around quickly, swiping another pirate at the throat with his sword. The pirate trembled violently then collapsed.

"Alfred!"

That voice…

"Alfred, help!"

The American spun on his heel and growled as he saw his brother being dragged by a large pirate. Alfred suddenly understood. They weren't going to die right here. They would be captured first. Alfred gripped his sword and ran at his brother's captor. The pirate merely laughed and swiped at Alfred with his own sword. Their swords clashed a few times. The pirate refused to release Matthew, which made Alfred more frustrated. What if he accidentally hurt his brother?

Alfred side stepped the pirate and pulled him back. The pirate looked shocked as he accidentally released Matthew. Alfred brought his sword down on the pirate, stabbing him in the neck. Alfred grinned happily as he watched the pirate die. That's what you get for messing with Alfred F. Jones!

A sharp blow struck his head a second later. Alfred didn't see his attacker. He fell into oblivion.

* * *

Alfred woke up in the most uncomfortable positions he'd ever been in. He was seeing stars. He blinked and attempted to move his hands but found he was unable to. That was odd… why couldn't he do that? He looked down at himself and realised he was sitting down on some kind of flooring. He looked at his torso and saw roped covered it. He attempted to move his arms again but found they were stuck fast. He blinked again and raised his head, ignoring the pounding headache he suddenly had.

"S-sir…"

Alfred turned his head to the source of the voice and saw one of his crewmembers, also tied up. He looked fearful.

"Wh-what happened?" Alfred asked. The crewmember shook his head, "We were captured, sir. They won't do anythin' till you woke up…"

Alfred licked his lips and struggled against the rope. He was pretty strong but someone sure as hell knew how to tie knots.

"Ah, so the 'hero' has finally awoken?" A voice said from ahead of them. Alfred looked up again and his eyes narrowed to glare at the man before him. The man was dressed in expensive attire by the looks of it with a very extravagant hat. Alfred looked at the man's face and tried not to laugh at the enormous eyebrows that sat above the greenest eyes he'd ever seen in his life. Alfred felt uncomfortable under the gaze. He felt as though he were being looked straight through. The man wore a cruel smirk that didn't complement his features.

The man approached him and kicked him hard in the gut. Alfred bit back a cry of pain and glared defiantly at the pirate captain and spat at his feet. This made the pirate frown and he grabbed a handful of Alfred's hair, jerking his head back. Alfred squeezed his eyes shut and the man's smirk returned, knowing he was causing the merchant pain. He kept his hand firmly in Alfred's hair, holding his head steady while his other hand gently caressed his cheek.

Alfred felt disgusted. A pirate was touching him in this way being tied up there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to move his head away but that only caused him more pain. He watched as the pirate traced his fingers across his cheek and to the blood that had trickled down his temple. He avoided looking into those poison eyes at all costs.

"It seems you are quite a handful," Arthur told him, moving away, "You seem fun… I'm not sure I want to kill you just yet…"

"Captain… I thought—" Francis interrupted but Arthur cut him off, "Hush, Francis… I know what I'm doing. Now that I get a good look at him, it seems such a waste to kill him straight away…"

"What are you suggesting?"

"That we keep him a little longer…" Arthur said. He gestured to his crewmen and said, "Untie him and take him below. Make sure he's secure."

"Aye…" they nodded and brought out a pocketknife. They cut Alfred's ropes and hauled him to his feet. Alfred glanced at his helpless crew and his eyes widened. Where the hell was Matthew? Panicking, he thought that he'd been killed.

"W-wait!" Alfred said, looking at the pirate captain, "My crew… I-is that all you got?"

"Yes, this is everyone we managed to capture. Why?"

Matthew must of escaped. Alfred felt relief and he shook his head, "No reason."

Arthur glared but didn't question it. He moved to stand infront of him and said, "My name is Captain Arthur Kirkland. You will call me by 'Captain' or 'Sir' at all times. Is this clear?"

"Yes, _Captain,_"

Arthur huffed, "Brat… take him away."

The crewmen took Alfred below and threw him into a cage; locking it and making sure it were secure before they left. Alfred watched them leave and he sat down and hugged himself, shivering. How could he get himself into this predicament? He hoped his crew would be alright…

After a moment, he looked up and grinned. Well, if he wasn't going to be killed straight away, he might as well make the most of what time he had left.

And he would do that by making Arthur's life Hell.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 2 done. Thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming xD

Iggy :)


	3. 3

The pirate that had hold of Matthew was too strong for the Canadian to make his escape. He struggled against the vice grip of the pirate but with no avail. Usually invisible to others, he wondered why this pirate would choose to capture him now.

This really wasn't the time to think about this but now Matthew really wished that he was still invisible to others, and then maybe this would have turned out differently.

Matthew managed to escape when his brother Alfred challenged the pirate. He hid behind some crated and prayed to all the gods that he knew, that he wouldn't be caught again. He watched his brother with fearful eyes and his eyes grew wider when the pirate was stabbed. He smiled (after his heartbeat had calmed slightly) and was about to move from his position until that moment where he saw his brother being knocked out by someone that Matthew couldn't really see. His or her face was hidden.

Matthew gasped quietly, wanting to go help his brother but Alfred was dragged away before the other blond could move. Deciding that staying hidden was his best option, that's exactly what Matthew did. He hugged his knees and hoped that he wouldn't be found.

There was a deafening bang and Matthew looked up again so see the mast falling right towards him. His mouth opened to a silent scream and he stood up, running away from the falling object. He jumped aside as the mast landed, incidentally splitting the ship in two. Matthew looked around and saw the pirate ship sailing away. All the crew were taken hostage.

Including Alfred.

Matthew felt anger. These pirates had come here, destroyed Alfred's ship and taken him and the crew hostage, and for what? To kill them? Yes, Alfred worked against the pirates but… Matthew sighed; this was not something he needed to be thinking about now. He needed to get off this ship, and fast. A fire had started from the cannons and most of the ship was ablaze. The ship started to collapse into itself and Matthew found himself with two choices.

He could die here or jump overboard and hope that someone would find him before he died.

Either way the result was death if he wasn't rescued. He was in the middle of a damn ocean for Christ's sake!

He made his decision and climbed onto the railing. He looked down at the water below him. He was never much of a strong swimmer and he just hoped that he could hold out long enough before someone found him. He looked back at the burning ship and then ahead. He squeezed his eyes shut and jumped.

Cold.

It was very cold. Matthew resurfaced and gasped at the sudden temperature change. The ship was as good as gone when Matthew glanced back. Bits of wood floated around in the freezing water and Matthew looked around for a piece that would support his weight. He spotted one some distance ahead and he started to swim. The cold was numbing his joints and it knocked the breath out of him. Struggling, he continued toward the wood and let out a shaky sigh when he reached it.

He slowly climbed on top and let out a breath. He would lie here and wait for a ship to sail by.

But this was a huge ocean. No one could sail by this particular area for days.

But the smoke from the ship was pretty dense, so he hoped that someone somewhere would have seen it.

Matthew started to feel tired. He forced himself to try and stay awake and he concentrated on trying to formulate a plan. He would have to rescue Alfred and the crew; he would just have to. Alfred and the crew needed him.

Sometimes even heroes need saving. And it was Matthew's job to do just that.

Hours past and the Canadian was shivering violently. So far, there had been no signs of life. Not even a gull had flown by.

Matthew began to give up hope.

Sleep was tugging at him more than ever before and once or twice Matthew succumbed, but he would wake himself up straight away and sometimes slap himself.

"St-stay awake…" He prompted himself, "Y-you have to…"

But he couldn't. Matthew felt his eyes droop and this time, he didn't reawaken.

* * *

Matthew felt warm and comfortable. There was something soft underneath his head, and he enjoyed the feeling of this.

As his mind began to clear, he realised that said soft object under his head must be a pillow and that he must have been rescued while he was asleep. His eyelids were heavy but he didn't keep them closed.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room infront of him. He was lying in a large bed and across the room was a dresser, in the corner of the room was a desk with many pieces of paper and documents upon it. Matthew sat up and was greeted with a happy voice.

"Ve~ I am so glad you have woken up!"

Matthew looked to the door and saw a boy. The boy was tall-ish, with brown hair (Matthew noticed that he had a wild curl at the side of his head). His eyes were closed in a happy smile and he approached the bed, holding something on a tray.

Matthew then realised that he was very hungry.

The boy set the tray infront of him and Matthew smiled at him gratefully. The boy took a seat next to the bed and asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Matthew Williams…" he replied in his quiet voice.

"Ve~ I'm Feliciano! It's so nice to meet you!"

Matthew couldn't help but smile at the boy's optimism, "It's nice to meet you, Feliciano, thank you for rescuing me."

"Oh don't thank me! Thank the Captain!" Feliciano insisted, beaming brightly, "He's the one that decided to help you! But tell me… what happened?"

"Pirates. You see, my brother Alfred works against pirates and they attacked our ship. They captured him and the crew but I managed to escape," Matthew told him.

Feliciano nodded and asked, "Do you know who their Captain was?"

"No, I don't. I didn't see anyone other than the pirate that tried to capture me," Matthew replied.

"Okay!" Feliciano replied and stood up, "You should eat and rest more. Then, the Captain would like to talk to you!"

Matthew nodded, "Thank you, and would you thank the Captain for me? I'm really grateful."

"Of course! The Captain is awesome!" Feliciano nodded then bounced out the room. Matthew chuckled and watched him go.

_He seemed nice…_ Matthew thought as he ate his food, _maybe they'd help me rescue Alfred…_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Hi guys, chapter 3 is done. I hoped you liked it~ Thank you for the reviews so far! They make me feel happy inside x3

Okay, I have something to ask:

I am looking for a beta reader.

Why?

Well, I look over my work and try and spot any spelling mistakes, but obviously I can't get them all. So a beta would be nice, for spell checks and feedback.

If you're interested then leave me a message and we can talk about it :)

Thanks alot.

~Iggy :)


	4. 4

Alfred kept his promise of making Arthur's life hell.

Arthur had second thoughts about keeping the American captive.

Seriously, he kind of wished he'd chucked him overboard when he had the chance.

But in all fairness, Alfred was a hard worker. In fact, the whole of Alfred's crew were hard workers. Arthur had made Alfred and his crew his own, and he was glad for the extra help and to be honest, now that there was less for he himself to do, he found more time to relax and catch up on any sleep he's not been able to have over the last couple of weeks.

Yes, Alfred was a hard worker, and his optimism was something that Arthur couldn't overlook. Infact, Alfred's optimism was starting to get on his nerves.

The British Captain would give Alfred the most degrading and belittling job he could think of and all he would get as a response was that brilliant grin, a salute (which usually came with 'aye, aye, Captain!), and he would hurry to get the job done.

"Is there anything else you want me to do?" Alfred asked one afternoon. Arthur had him cleaning the deck from top to bottom, cleaning the cannons, helping the chef and, hell, he even had him cleaning the side of the ship.

Alfred's grin never faltered.

Arthur couldn't think of anything more for the American to do, which irritated him even more. If he gave Alfred every job on board, the rest of the crew would have nothing to do. Not that they would mind or anything, but Arthur didn't want them to sit on their arses all day doing nothing. That simply would not do!

"No, I shall send for you if I do think of any jobs for you," Arthur told him with a shake of the head. Alfred grinned (as usual) and saluted, "Yes sir!"

He jogged away and Arthur silently mourned. Why wouldn't this boy be miserable!

* * *

Arthur stood by the wheel, navigating the ship with a frown.

"What is it?" Alfred asked. In the end, Arthur had Alfred by his side at all times, helping him with any kind of little job he could think of. Alfred was all too happy to help; he was the hero after all! He just knew that he willingness was grating on Arthur's last nerve and it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Alfred would enjoy this moment very much, if he were to witness this.

Arthur turned his gaze toward the other blond and replied, "There is a storm up ahead. We have to pass through it to get to our destination,"

Alfred didn't question said destination. He had a feeling he would find out soon enough.

"Do you think we'll make it?" Alfred asked. The captain looked at his as if he were insane, "Are you mad? Of course we will. I am not Captain for nothing, you know."

Alfred nodded, keeping his eye on the darkening sky up ahead, then at the captain. He wondered if Arthur meant what he said.

Alfred stole sneaky glances at the captain and realised that he was quite deceiving. The past couple of days he had been under his control, he hadn't been too cruel with him. Yes, he still made him sleep in the damp cage below deck and he made him work all day everyday, but Alfred knew that behind the cruel pirate captain persona there really was a kind person. Alfred was determined to find that person.

Alfred blushed a bit when he was caught staring. Arthur raised a large eyebrow and asked, "Am I that fascinating that you have to stare?"

"Yeah right! I was just trying to figure you out," Alfred replied airily, however he still blushed slightly.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah!" Alfred said, looking at him now. Might as well be honest. Afterall, heroes didn't lie, did they? "I don't think you're as cruel as you seem!"

Arthur looked genuinely shocked and found himself speechless. Alfred nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, I think you're hiding behind this 'pirate meanie person' and I think you're a nice person!"

Arthur let a small laugh escape, "You are sadly mistaken."

"Why do you hide? Do you have a reputation to uphold?" Alfred asked, moving a bit closer, "You—"

"We're approaching the storm, I suggest you help the crew secure any supplies," Arthur told him dryly. He was now not looking at him but his green eyes held an emotion that Alfred could not place.

The American sighed and did as he was told. Somehow, he didn't think overstepping the line was such a good thing right now.

He looked back at Arthur, who stood rigid at the wheel, staring at the dark clouds, as if he was daring them to challenge him.

"Oy! Come and help us!" one of Arthur's crewmen shouted to Alfred and waved him over to where a few of the other crewmen were securing barrels to the side of the ship with some rope.

Alfred tore his gaze from Arthur and walked over to them, he picked up some rope and helped secure the barrel.

"I saw you lookin' at the captain," the crewman said, "You looked like you were searchin' for somethin'…"

"Trying to figure him out," Alfred replied, securing the barrel, and then moved onto the next.

"There ain't nothin' to figure out," the crewman said with a shrug, "The captain's the captain. Ain't nothin' to it."

"I think he's hiding," Alfred said.

"Hidin' what?"

"His true self."

The crewman laughed, "Doubt it, kid. But…" he looked around, making sure no one was eavesdropping, "You wanna know 'bout our captain, you best ask Francis…" he pointed at the man with wavy hair, directing the other crewmen. Alfred nodded, "The French guy?" he wrinkled his nose a bit.

"Yeah. No one knows the captain better than 'im, that I know," the crewman said with a nod, "He ain't first mate for nothin',"

"I see," Alfred nodded, "He knows everything about Arthur, you say?"

"Aye, known eachother fer years, they 'ave," the crewman nodded again. He stopped talking when Francis looked their way. Alfred watched him for a moment the finished tying his knot.

Francis looked at them wearily then walked toward Arthur. Arthur glanced at him and looked back ahead.

"I'm John, by the way," the crewman said. Alfred smiled and held his hand out, "I'm Alfred F. Jones!"

John shook his hand and said, "Nice to meetcha, Alfred. Jus' some advice. Watch your step around the captain. He may be tolerant of you now but he won't be fer long…"

Alfred nodded and decided that he would get Francis to tell him about Arthur. He would just have to figure out how.

He watched thunder rumbled and rain started to fall. The waves were getting bigger and the wind picked up. He watched as the rest of the crew finished securing the barrels, cannons and any other supplies that were loose.

He looked over at John and asked, "Now what?"

He grinned, "We jus' hold on."

* * *

A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the wait. University decided to be a bitch and give me a huge-ass essay D:

Nevertheless, I have finally updated this and I hope you will all keep reviewing and warm my stone cold heart... :I

~Iggy :)


	5. 5

Arthur Kirkland wasn't afraid of this little storm. Hell no! The British pirate wasn't afraid of anything of the sort.

How foolish for one to think that he would be afraid of a bit of wind and rain.

Perhaps some thunder and lightning too…

Well… now that you mention it… his ship _was_ pretty old… he just hoped that she would make it through.

Afterall… those waves are pretty big.

Shrugging off all negative thoughts, Arthur gripped the wheel tightly and steered his precious ship into storm. If it were his choice, he would find an alternate route, but of course, his destination had to be in this direction and if he turned to a new route, it would take days, if not weeks, to get back on course.

Again, shrugging off all negative thoughts, Arthur once again glared at the storm as if to dare it come at him. The storm, also not afraid of the Briton, raged ahead and sent its wind and rain straight at them.

Within minutes, everyone was soaked through. Okay, maybe Arthur didn't expect the rain to be that heavy, but nonetheless, he would make it though. He wasn't to give up that easily.

The storm raged on, and Alfred held onto the side of the ship for dear life. He closed his eyes tight and hoped to god he wouldn't fall overboard.

Feeling someone shaking his arm, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the culprit. John was grinning like a lunatic and he pointed ahead.

* * *

Alfred slowly looked at where John was pointing and his eyes widened. A huge wave was heading straight for the ship. _This is it… we're done for… _Alfred thought to himself. He looked at Arthur, who was rooted to the spot, staring ahead of him. The wind had blown his hat off and God knows where it went…

The huge waved descended upon the ship and crashed on top of her. Alfred held onto the ship tighter and hid his face in his elbow. The cold ocean water hit him like a ton of bricks, and he glanced up to see the damage.

Surprised at the lack of floating planks of wood and supplied, Alfred glanced at John, who grinned again.

"Have faith!" John told him above the roar of the wind. Alfred nodded shakily and removed his glasses and pocketed them to save them from any damage, because this was far from over.

The ocean seemed angry that she hadn't taken out the ship first time, so she sent another wave straight to them. It smashed on top of the ship again and Alfred his face in his arm again, just in time. He ignored the stinging salt water in his eyes.

He glanced up at Arthur and was surprised that the captain hadn't been washed away yet. It was like he was tied down or something.

He watched the captain staring defiantly at the storm as he navigated his ship towards the end of it.

Alfred had found a new respect for the captain. It seemed he would get everyone out of this no matter what. It made Alfred smile.

The ocean gave up, and so did the storm. The duo calmed down and the rain, wind and waves stopped. Arthur navigated the ship out of the storm and onto calmer seas.

His shoulders slumped ever so slightly and his vice grip on the wheel loosened. His crew and Alfred's cheered and congratulated eachother and the captain. Francis watched on with a weary smile.

Alfred stood up shakily, and ran a hand through his wet hair. Putting his glasses back on he looked around and smiled that they got through this in one piece.

The ship had suffered little damage, nothing that couldn't be repaired.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alfred noticed something red and kind of fluffy. He walked towards it and realised that it was Arthur's hat.

He picked it up with a smile and walked over to the captain and said, "Good job."

"Thanks, I suppose…" Arthur replied, standing up properly now. No one would see how exhausted he was. Not even this brat.

Alfred kept his smile and plonked the hat onto Arthur's head.

"Much better."

For the first time, Arthur gave him a genuine smile.

_He's still a brat, though…_

_

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys, I am so sorry for the long wait! D:

I haven't been well for a while and even so, I tried to write this chapter at least three times but every time I tried, I just couldn't get my thoughts into words properly.

I didn't really like this chapter all too well, I thought it could have been better -.-

I just hope that you lot will hang around until I get the next chapter written up.

Sigh.

~Iggy :)


	6. 6

Matthew had certainly taken Feliciano's advice and rested up well. He sat by the window and watched as the sky darkened and the sea became calmer. He smiled; the sunset was always so pretty.

There was a knock on the door and a certain Italian poked his head inside the cabin, "Ve~ Are you ready to speak to the captain?"

Matthew turned his gaze to Feliciano and nodded, "Yes, I guess so."

Feliciano beamed and opened the door a little more, "Follow me!" he skipped away and Matthew had no choice but to catch up. He heaved himself up from his place by the window and followed the Italian down the hall.

They walked for a few minutes, Feliciano telling Matthew about his friend Ludwig, who also worked on the ship too. So far, Matthew hadn't seen anyone. Feliciano was the only one to check on him.

"And Ludwig is so cool~ he's so strong and nice and kind and he looks after me and he's…" Feliciano continued and Matthew had kind of blanked him out by now. He just nodded and answered whenever he needed to but other than that, he didn't really pay attention.

Finally they stopped outside a large oak door and Feliciano placed a few sharp knocks upon it. A voice sounded from within and Feliciano opened the door, "Ve~ I brought Matthew to see you."

"The kid we picked up?" the voice asked and Feliciano nodded.

"Alright, let him in," Feliciano stood aside and Matthew walked in. The door was shut behind him and the Canadian looked ahead at the man before him. The first thing he noticed about him were his ruby red eyes. They stood out against his pale skin and snow-white hair. He wore typical pirate attire and was sitting with his feet up against the desk, and in one hand was a beer bottle.

Matthew also noticed that this man didn't carry the stereotype of a pirate with a parrot. No, nestled on this man's shoulder sat a small yellow bird that seemed to be giving him curious looks (if a bird would give curious looks, that is).

"So," the man said with a smirk, "You're the castaway."

"Um, I suppose you could call me that," Matthew said with a tiny smile. His gaze was still on the little yellow bird. The albino pirate seemed to notice this and he smiled, "He's cute isn't he? His name's Gilbird."

At the sound of his name, Gilbird flapped his wings with a small 'peep'. Matthew nodded and his smile widened slightly, "Very cute, sir."

The man watched him for a second longer then removed his feet from the desk. He kicked a chair towards Matthew and said, "Sit, you're making the room unawesome."

Wondering if unawesome was even a word, Matthew sat down obediently, not wanting to get on this man's bad side, since he was the one who rescued him. Scarlet eyes locked onto his own for a little while longer before the man spoke again, "The name's Captain Gilbert Beilschmidt. You will address me as Captain Awesome."

"Will just 'Captain' do?"

"Nein. Captain Awesome."

Matthew sighed, "Alright fine," he replied looking weary. He wasn't going to call him 'Captain Awesome'… there was just no way in Hell…

Gilbert didn't seem to notice that Matthew's mind was elsewhere for the time being as he decided to finish the rest of his beer. Tossing the empty bottle aside, he reached over to the desk and opened another. He grinned at Matthew again, "So… care to tell me what happened?"

Matthew had a feeling he already knew, "Well… you see, our ship was attacked by pirates—"

"Hold up… 'our' ship?"

Matthew blushed, "Um, well… my brother's ship."

"So you're not pirates then?"

Matthew shook his head.

"Then what are you?"

Matthew got that feeling of knowing again, "W-we're merchant sailors, sir."

"Merchants of what?"

"W-weaponry."

"Against pirates?" Gilbert was still smirking. Matthew had been right all along. He didn't know what to do. If Gilbert was a pirate (and by judging by his attire, he was), wouldn't he want him dead too? Afterall, wasn't he the enemy now?

Gilbert took Matthew's silence as a yes and his grin widened, "I knew as much. Feli told me."

Matthew remembered he told Feliciano everything, so there was no doubt that he told Gilbert. It made sense now.

Gilbert stood up and walked around the room, swigging his beer as he did so, "So, you're a castaway, you're brother's been kidnapped by… who?"

"I don't know, I didn't see the captain," Matthew replied. _But you already know that, don't you?_

Gilbert nodded, "Ah you see. There is a reason as to why I'm awesome!" he walked to Matthew and leaned in close, "You don't know, but I do."

Matthew's eyes widened, "Who? Oh please you have to tell me!"

"What's it worth?"

He froze, "I… I have nothing to offer."

"But of course you do!" Gilbert pulled him to his feet and made Matthew stand at his full height. He circled him, inspecting every aspect of the Canadian, which made him feel like he was being x-rayed.

"You seem fit enough," Gilbert remarked. He stopped infront of him and patted his shoulder; "You will work for me for a week. If I find your services to be satisfactory, then I shall tell you who holds your brother captive and may or may not decide to help you. I like you, kid. You have potential. You're awesome, but not as awesome as me, right Gilbird?"

Gilbird peeped in agreement and flapped his wings again. Matthew thought the bird was too cute to be the companion of a pirate.

Gilbert nodded at his sidekick, "Right." He looked back at Matthew; "I'll have Ludwig show you what to do and whatever."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Gilbert smirked and said, "Ja?"

The door opened and a broad blond man walked inside the cabin. His blue eyes inspected Matthew for a moment before looking at the albino, "Is it time?"

Gilbert was about to answer but then his red eyes widened, "Oh shit kid, I didn't catch your name!"

Matthew sighed; Feliciano mentioned it earlier. But he answered nontheless, "It's Matthew."

"Ja. Right Matthew, this is my little _bruder _Ludwig," Matthew's eyebrows raised slightly. Was this the same Ludwig Feliciano was talking about earlier? "He'll take care of you. Now shoo, you're obstructing my awesome!" Gilbert ushered them out the room and closed the door behind them.

Matthew sighed and looked at Ludwig, who looked just as weary as himself, "Is he always like this?"

"Ja… I apologize. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ludwig held his hand out and Matthew shook it, "Nice to meet you too."

"Shall we go?" Ludwig asked and the Canadian nodded. The blond German led the way down the hall with Matthew in his wake.

He wondered what was in store for him.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, here's another update. Yeah I know, no Alfred and Arthur (again) but I have to keep track of our favourite Canadian too, don't I? He's important to the plot x3

I dunno when the next installment shall be but I'll try and get the next chapter up before Christmas.

Thanks for all the reviews so far x3 They make me happy.

Let me know what you think of this chapter please, it's important and it helps with confidence :3

Thanks!

~Iggy :)


	7. 7

Days had past since the ship was confronted by the storm and Alfred had just about enough. Arthur still had him working from dawn till dusk with barely any breaks in between. It was hell working all day in the hot sun. He wished Arthur would cut him some slack.

If things weren't bad enough, Alfred still didn't know if his brother was alive. He could be anywhere and with anyone. Alfred suppressed the panic at the thought of another pirate ship taking his brother. From what he knew about pirates, Arthur was letting them off easy. Other pirates may not be as generous.

Alfred glanced up and spotted Francis not too far away. The American watched the Frenchman with mild interest. He remembered what John said about Francis knowing everything about Arthur and he wondered if he just went over to him and asked, would he tell?

It was worth a try, right?

Alfred stood up and made his way over to Francis in a casual manner. He smiled brightly at him when he stopped beside him and he greeted him with a wave, "Hey!"

"Bonjour. What do you want?" he asked, glancing at him.

"I just wanna ask you something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. About Arthur."

"Oh…" Francis smirked a little, "You want to know about mon lapin~"

"Know about what?"

"That is what I call Arthur. It is a pet name. Also Angleterre. You wish to know everything about our dear captain?"

"Well yeah."

"And why is that?" Francis asked, raising an eyebrow. Alfred swallowed and replied, "Well I… I just want to get to know the guy who's in charge until I get released-"

"Released! I doubt it!" Francis interrupted. Alfred glared.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, cher, it is obvious, non? I highly doubt that Arthur will be releasing you anytime soon." Francis said with a wave of his hand.

Alfred growled a bit and the Frenchman continued, "You are a worthy worker and if I know Arthur, which of course I do, then you'll be here for a while longer."

"Well, like I said, I might as well get to know about him."

"I could tell you his darkest secrets," Francis said with a wink which made Alfred shudder slightly, "But…"

"But what?"

"But I will not."

"Why?"

"It is obvious, non? You are still the enemy. You could have a means of escape and once I spill Arthur's secrets, you could use them against us in the future."

Alfred considered this then said, "Hey, if I had a way to escape, wouldn't I have done it already?"

"Strategy," Francis said, tapping his temple then turning around to leave. Alfred huffed and watched him go. Great, so much for that plan. He sighed and walked back down onto the deck to continue with his work.

* * *

The day was boring after that, and Alfred had just finished polishing the cannons. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up. His back cricked in relief from the crouching position he'd adopted for three hours. He looked around; Arthur hadn't set him anything else to do, so this meant he had some spare time… until the large-eyebrowed Brit found him and sent him to engage in some other mediocre task.

Alfred tossed the rag aside and walked out onto the deck. The late afternoon sun felt warm on his face and closed his eyes for a moment. For a second he imagined being back on his own ship, he imagined his smiling, hard working crew, he imagined Matthew standing beside him and giving him a light pat on the shoulder, telling him a job well done.

Once he opened his eyes, the dream world vanished and he was back in reality. He sighed. Reality was somewhere where he really didn't want to be right now…

He walked to the bow of the ship and looked out to the endless blue in front of them. He smiled a bit, loving how the rays of the sun reflected from the water and gave it that orangey colour. If only Arthur—wait what? Alfred blinked. Why had he just thought of Arthur? He smiled nervously to himself. Arthur probably saw this all the time, why would he want to be here now, with Alfred no less? The American ran a hand through his blond hair and sighed heavily. He may not like being on the ship but he did like what it could offer.

He blushed deeply. He meant the views and stuff, not what you were thinking, you perverts! He shook his head, deeming it all a lost cause. Maybe he could try and be friends with Arthur… no wait that went against everything he ever lived for!

It was like he had an angel and a devil sitting on each shoulder. Like his heart and his head were both telling him different things, but he couldn't determine what was telling him what exactly. Something was telling him that Arthur was different than the other pirates he'd encountered… while another part of him screamed for him to remember what he did for a living and to remember what he was fighting for- to be able to sail the seas with no threat. He wanted to be a hero!

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the ship shift in direction. He looked behind him and saw Arthur at the wheel, staring directly ahead of him, and not at Alfred.

"Why'd we change direction?" he asked. Was that too bold? Would Arthur call him a 'nosy git' and mind his own business?

He was shocked to hear the reply, "Well, we can't reach our destination if we're going in the wrong direction, can we?" well… sarcasm was probably the nicest thing he would get from Arthur. Alfred shrugged, "Well… where are we going?"

Arthur turned his poison green gaze to Alfred and the American felt himself shrink back slightly. The pirate captain's lips spread into that wicked little grin as he said the name of the destination Alfred really didn't want to hear.

"Tortuga."

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry for the stupidly long wait! D: I have no excuse really, laziness is my only reason! Well I finally got off my lazy ass and decided to finish this chapter. For a long time, there had been an empty gap in my mind from the previous chapter to what I want to happen. Of course, I can't tell you what I want to happen because it'll ruin it, won't it? So for a long while I've been contemplating where the story should go from here why, of course it was obvious. Where should all pirates go? Tortuga of course! 8D

Also, the role of Matthew is vital in this story, so until his role becomes more active, he'll be popping up every two chapters or so. Like, two chapters of Al and Artie, one chapter of Matt, two chapters of Al and Artie, one of Matt. Get it? :3

One last thing, I have been posting this story of deviantART and so far, it's been a success! So maybe I'll post my other stories on there? Who knows, we'll have to see!

I think that's all I have to say, so once again thank you to those who have reviewed and read ths story, it makes me very happy that you like it. Keep those reviews coming and I'll see you next time!

~Iggy :)


	8. 8

Alfred stared at Arthur incredulously. It took a few minutes for his brain to comprehend what he was being told and after a few moments he flailed his arms around frantically and yelled, "Are you crazy? Tortuga! I will die if I go there!"

Arthur considered this. If he took the annoying American to Tortuga and he died there, he wouldn't have his blood on his hands… but… he looked around the ship. It was the cleanest it had been for weeks. Alfred was a capable handyman and had come in useful for the Brit over the last couple of days. He would do whatever he asked whenever he asked of it. He wouldn't argue or put up a fuss like he used to.

"Well, I admit, I didn't think of that," Arthur replied airily and this caused Alfred's eyes to become wider.

"What do you mean you didn't think of it!" he demanded whilst flailing his arms around again. Arthur rolled his eyes and snapped, "Belt up!"

Alfred lowered his arms down to his sides slowly and he blinked owlishly at the pirate. Arthur was rubbing his temples and his green eyes were squeezed shut. There was no way he was changing course now. As much as he loved his ship, he needed to get off it every now and then. He opened his eyes again and held his hands up, "Alright, alright, we'll have to disguise you."

"How?"

"Follow me," Arthur said. With that he barked orders at one of his crewmen and he stalked away from the wheel leaving said crewman in charge of it. Alfred blinked again then realised that he should be following Arthur so he ran up the steps to the higher part of the deck and fell in step with the Brit.

Arthur didn't even cast a glance over at Alfred as he led him inside the ship and through the halls. Alfred looked around, having never been to this part of the ship before.

They walked in silence and eventually Arthur stopped in front of door at the end of the hall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large collection of keys. Fiddling with them for a few moments until he found the correct one, Alfred watched him then soon got bored and looked around again. Arthur found the correct key and inserted it into the keyhole and smiled a bit when he heard the lock click open. He pushed the door open and Alfred looked around in awe.

There were crate upon crates of different clothes, from dresses to formal coats, to simple attire such as shirts and pants. There were accessories too- eye patches, necklaces and other jewellery.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Alfred asked as he stepped into the room. He turned in a slow circle so he could see everything that this room held. Arthur smirked a bit and stepped into the room and closed the door.

"Ships," he replied simply, "These make good for disguises. I'm wanted in many parts of the world, and I simply cannot just walk out into a town looking recognizable."

"So what do you do? Wear a dress?" Alfred snickered and held up a large white dress with puffy sleeves. Arthur flushed and snatched the dress from him, "Git!" he snapped, but then he smirked again and held the dress up to Alfred, "I think it suits you more than myself."

"No way!" Alfred flailed and took a step back. Arthur's smirk widened as he followed him, "Come on, you cant deny it."

"I can and I will! I am not dressing up as some lady to get kidnapped by fat old pirates!"

"Who said anything about them being fat?"

"Arthur!" Alfred whined and pushed the dress away lightly. Arthur gave a tiny chuckle (which surprised Alfred) and put the dress aside. His green eyes shone with something that Alfred had never seen in the stodgy Brit. Playfulness? Amusement, and not of the sadistic kind either? Would he mind if Alfred played along too? Deciding to test this theory he turned around and picked up another dress. This one was a light pink elaborately decorated with frills. He grinned and turned around to see Arthur's eyes widen.

"I think this'll suit you more!" Alfred grinned and moved closer to Arthur. It was Arthur's turn to take a step back and the American found this amusing.

"Oh come on! Give it a chance!" Alfred laughed and thrust the dress at the captain.

"Not a chance in Hell!"

"Arthur!" Alfred whined. Arthur just shook his head and Alfred sighed heavily and averted his eyes.

"I guess I'll just… have to chase you with it then!" he grinned again and took off after Arthur. The Brit jumped a little and hurried away from the crazy blond.

"Stay away from me you twit!" he demanded and he dodged around the large crates of clothing. Alfred laughed and continued his pursuit, "Never!"

Arthur continued to run away and Alfred continued to chase him. Arthur stopped in his tracks and spun around when he heard a loud 'ooft!' from behind him. He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud at Alfred, who had promptly faceplanted the floor. He sat up rubbing his forehead with a stupid grin.

"Guess I should look where I'm going, huh?"

"That would be wise," Arthur replied with a smile. He didn't know what was happening; he was never this light hearted, not even around Francis- that was understandable. The frog was his arch enemy but also his close friend. Neither of them understood how that worked. It just did. Arthur shook his head a bit, getting Francis out of his head and he continued, "Right, time to stop messing around. We need to find you some new attire."

"Aye aye Captain!" Alfred saluted Arthur with a big smile and picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself down. He looked around and the two of them started on their quest to get Alfred a disguise.

Arthur made Alfred stand in the middle of the room as he circled him, looking him up and down. Alfred felt a little uncomfortable, it was like Arthur was seeing straight through him and this wasn't the first time he'd felt like this. Alfred swallowed audibly as Arthur came to stand in front of him. He looked up to his hair and flicked the stubborn cowlick that the American sported. Alfred raised an eyebrow as Arthur turned away and threw a red bandana at him, "Put that on with…" he looked around and found blue and white striped shirt and he tossed that at him too, "that."

Alfred looked down at the shirt and bandana and looked up in time to see Arthur launch some pants at him. He looked down at the attire then back at Arthur, "Well… I'm not going to change with you still here," he grinned as the Brit turned a reasonable shade of red.

"O-of course… I'll wait outside," Arthur hurried out of the room and closed the door firmly. Alfred laughed a bit and got changed. He finished tucking the pants into his boots and he looked up at the long mirror at the other end of the room. He walked towards it and he couldn't help but smile. He thought he kind of looked hot in his new pirate getup. He shook his head a bit and he forced himself to remember what his life was. He worked against pirates, not with them. This was only until he found a way to get away from Arthur. He looked down at the bandana in his hands and he smiled. He put it on then called, "Okay, I'm done!"

The door opened and Arthur walked back into the room and snorted with laughter at the ridiculous pose that Alfred had struck up last minute. The America grinned at the captain and said, "So, how do I look?"

Arthur looked him up and down and smiled, "Like a proper pirate," he replied and approached him. Alfred pouted playfully, "Aw man! Totally _not _the look I was going for!"

"Stupid git…" Arthur said and fixed the bandana for him. Alfred took a step closer and there was something in his eyes that Arthur couldn't place. He didn't know what it was but he knew that he couldn't look away. The brilliant blue had him captivated.

The two unknowingly began to lean into each other and one of Alfred's hands found Arthur's waist. They were mere inches away from each other when they both snapped back into reality. Arthur's cheeks turned pink and Alfred looked away as he removed his hand.

"Sorry…" Alfred said in a small voice and Arthur shook his head.

"It was my fault…"

The two stared at each other for a second before Arthur took a step back. Alfred watched him and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I-I should go and help the crew, huh?"

"Yes, I think that would be best… I shall join you on the deck shortly…"

Alfred gave a tiny nod as he brushed past the Brit and exited the room. He stole one last glance at Arthur before shutting the door firmly. He smiled a tiny bit as he walked back down the hall.

Maybe he didn't need Francis to tell him what Arthur was like after all.

* * *

A/N: Yay another update! 8D

So this is more light hearted than my previous chapters, and it gave me an opportunity to get Al more in character and show that even Arthur can have some fun at times.

And what's this? Do I spy relationship development? Why, yes, yes I do 8D

(atlastOTL)

Anyways, thank you to my awesomesauce reviewers for their awesomesauce comments!

Oh, before I go. Alot of you have been asking and assuming (both on here and dA) about PruCan. Well... all I can say is maybe 8D I _have _decided about Matthew's potential lover but I'm giving NOTHING away (:

Until next time,

~Iggy :)


	9. 9

Matthew was confused.

After his encounter with Gilbert, he was finding it hard to work out whether he was helping him or whether he just wanted a bitch for the week. Matthew decided on the latter.

He looked ahead and watched Ludwig in front of him. Didn't Gilbert say they were brothers? He didn't know the German language very well but there was no mistaking what he meant. If it was the case, they were so different! In both looks and personality. Ludwig acted as though he were older than Gilbert even though there must have been a good couple of years between them.

Matthew snapped out of his train of thought when Ludwig came to a stop and withdrew a bunch of keys from his pocket. Matthew watched him as he began to find the key he needed and he eventually opened the door. He stepped inside and Matthew followed him to see that the room was bigger than the previous room he'd rested in and there were hammocks instead of beds. There were two windows on the other side of the room that looked out to the ocean and on one side of the room there was a small desk with paper and ink. Matthew wrinkled his nose a bit. The room had a strange smell to it and he wondered how clean Gilberts crew actually were.

"This is where the crew sleeps. You'll sleep in here too," Ludwig informed him and walked inside the room. He showed Matthew to a hammock by the window and told him to put what ever belongings he had underneath the hammock.

"Won't they get… you know, stolen?" Matthew asked nervously. After all, if he was saved by them or not, they were still pirates.

Ludwig shook his head, knowing full well why Matthew asked this question, "Nein, we don't steal from each other. But because you're new, they might get 'misplaced', but you'll always get it back."

Matthew didn't really like the idea of that but he figured that he could do nothing about it, it was to be expected. He just sighed and accepted this and decided that he wouldn't let it get to him. He placed what little belongings he'd managed to save from his brother's ship under the hammock and looked back at Ludwig, who spoke again.

"It would seem you have no duties for today so I could show you around the ship, but if you would prefer to rest then that is okay too…"

"If it's not too much of a bother, could you show me around?" Matthew asked and Ludwig nodded. He led the way out of the room and down the hall.

They walked in silence. Ludwig didn't seem the talkative type. Matthew didn't mind that, so the quiet between them was comfortable.

Ludwig walked on for a little longer and stopped in front of another door. He didn't have to unlock this one and he pushed it open with ease, revealing a small kitchen.

"Ludwig!" a voice squealed in glee from within the room and what happened next was all a blur. The next thing Matthew knew, Ludwig was being hugged by a smaller man who he soon recognised as Feliciano (seriously, he would recognise that strange curl anywhere). Ludwig hesitantly hugged the Italian back for a brief minute before taking a step back.

"How are you, Feliciano?"

"I'm very good Ludwig! I'm making pasta!"

Ludwig nodded slightly and turned to Matthew, "Feliciano is the chef."

The Italian, having just noticed Matthew, waved frantically and asked, "Would you like to try some of my pasta?"

"Maybe later," Matthew replied, "Ludwig was showing me around."

"Okay! Ve, can I come too? Please!"

Ludwig looked between Matthew and Feliciano then sighed, "Haven't you got a job to do, Feliciano?"

The Italian's smile faded ever so slightly that Matthew wasn't sure if it ever faltered at all. The bright smile was back in place before he could figure it out and the younger replied, "Oh, si… Ludwig is right; I have pasta to make… I suppose I should stay in here then," he turned back around and hurried over to the stove and continued stirring something inside a large pot.

Ludwig watched him for a second then turned away and led the way out the room. Matthew followed and asked, "Is he okay?"

"He… he likes to follow me around for some reason. He'll be fine later, and besides he has a job to do." Ludwig replied with a slight stiff tone to his voice.

Matthew decided it wasn't his place to question it, so he left it alone.

Ludwig showed Matthew around the ship and introduced him to different members of Gilbert's crew. At one point they ran into the Captain himself.

"Having fun?" he asked with a smirk. Matthew just merely nodded and felt uncomfortable under the albino's ruby stare.

Ludwig noticed this and sighed lightly, "Bruder_, _don't you have ships to target and treasure to admire?"

"Ja, I was just on my way," Gilbert replied, taking his eyes off Matthew for a split second to look at Ludwig, who sighed again.

"Then go."

Gilbert sighed dramatically and Gilbird flapped his wings a little, "Alright fine! You're so uptight!" he walked past them both (and winked at Matthew as he did so).

Ludwig facepalmed at that and Matthew turned his gaze to the ground immediately.

"Is he always like that?"

"Unfortunetely…"

* * *

The rest of the day passed and nothing eventful happened. Gilbert left Matthew alone after their little encounter but there was no doubt that he would ambush him the next day. After all, it was then he started work on the ship.

Matthew basically remembered the layout of the ship, as it wasn't that different than his brother's. He would have no doubt that he would be all right in whatever tasks Gilbert had in store for him.

Dinner was enjoyable. The crew had taken to Matthew and accepted him quicker than Ludwig expected and there was no denying that Feliciano was an excellent cook as Matthew enjoyed the pasta very much. The young Italian took delight in Matthew's compliment and beamed at him all night.

"Not many people compliment my pasta," he told the Canadian when he helped him clear up when they crew was finished.

"Why? I think it was fantastic!" Matthew smiled, honestly shocked that no one else took the time to appreciate Feliciano's cooking skills.

He shrugged a bit, "I don't know… I suppose that people think I'm useless."

"I'm sure you're not useless."

Feliciano nodded, "I run away when I get scared, so the captain had me as the chef instead. I think he didn't want to get rid of me."

Matthew smiled; well at least this was evidence that Gilbert had a good bone in his body, "That was nice of him."

Feliciano nodded, "When he found out I could cook he decided to keep me as a chef. I think that the rest of the crew still think I'm useless."

"You're not useless, Feliciano. Without you they would all starve and then what would they do?" Matthew smiled and Feliciano giggled a bit.

"You're nice, Matthew, I hope you find your brother and you can get back to your life."

"What about you, Feliciano? Do you have any siblings?"

Feliciano's eyes turned downcast, "Si… I have an older brother."

"What's his name?"

"Lovi."

Matthew watched him and he frowned a bit, "He's not here with you?"

"No, we got separated."

"How?"

Feliciano looked up at him and his bright smile was back. He gathered plates and took them to the small sink at the other end of the kitchen.

"I'll tell you another time."

Matthew's frown remained and the two cleared up in silence until Feliciano told him he would finish up on his own.

"Are you sure?"

"Si, go and rest. You will be busy tomorrow."

Matthew nodded and bid the Italian goodnight. He walked back up the hall slowly and his thought jumbled around his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what happened to Feliciano's brother. Was he alive? Was he with pirates? He was curious but Feliciano seemed uncomfortable with the subject so he left it alone.

He reached his hammock and was happy to see that his belongings were still there. After a few attempts he managed to climb in and he looked out the window. The moon was high in the sky and gave the ocean an eerie blue glow. Trying not to move too much, Matthew managed to get himself wrapped up in his blanket and he cuddled up to it with a sigh.

He was on a pirate ship, working under a pirate captain within a pirate crew. He was accepted and not judged, but he thought that the crew didn't know what he did for a living. He couldn't help but smile though. He would make the most of this and he would find out what happened to his brother.

Matthew's eyes drooped and he fell asleep dreaming of tropical islands and treasure maps.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter 8D

I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I do take everyone's reviews into consideration and any points and hints you guys give me I do try and work on them.

I know I have grammatical mistakes in the previous chapters and I will go back and fix them when I find time. And France will have his chance to shine, so fear not!

Have a good day!

~Iggy :)


	10. 10

As soon as Alfred saw the port in the distance he couldn't wait any longer.

"How long will it take?" he asked for what was the tenth time. Arthur's eye twitched slightly and he replied stiffly, "I told you three minutes ago… we'll reach our destination in one hour!"

Alfred wiggled around and ran across the deck to find something to do in order to occupy his time. He was too excited. He just needed to get off this ship and step onto some land. Even though it hadn't been that long since he was captured, he still missed it.

Alfred found himself mopping up the deck even though he had only completed this task a half hour before. He hummed to himself and found himself lost in a fantasy world as he cleaned the deck. He imagined good things. He imagined the beaches of Tortuga and how good it would be to feel the sand between his toes. He imagined arriving there and seeing his brother waiting for him. He smiled slightly at the second thought.

"Alfred!"

He blinked and looked around. His eyes brightened when he saw land looking so much closer that it had earlier. Arthur was looking at him.

"Stop that and help the others. We'll be arriving in a few minutes."

Alfred saluted with a brilliant grin and hurried to put the mop and bucket back in the cleaning closet. He ran back on deck to help the rest of the crew.

Arthur watched him for a few moments and thought back to their encounter in the storage room a few hours ago. Neither of them had said anything about it, and Alfred acted as though it didn't happen. He was as bright and energetic as he was just before the incident. Arthur however, didn't talk to him unless it was necessary. He didn't even know what happened. They just… he didn't even want to think about it. A blush crept over his cheeks and he made sure he had his back to the crew so no one could catch a glimpse. He sighed and glanced ahead.

Alfred hadn't forgotten what had happened. He just didn't want them both to feel awkward. He just smiled and continued with his day like nothing happened because he wanted to believe that that was the reality. He knew it wasn't but he would do anything to believe it.

Arthur glanced behind him, his blush now gone, and steered the ship to the port and ten minutes later, he was shaking his head at Alfred who was flailing around and declaring how much he'd missed land.

Arthur sighed and called, "Alfred! Get over here!"

Alfred ran over to him with a wide grin, "Yeah!"

"You are to stay with me at all times. Under no circumstances are you to wander alone. Oh and wear this," he handed him an eye-patch and Alfred burst out laughing.

"You're kidding?"

Arthur glared.

Alfred's grin faded, "Oh… you're not?"

"No. I'm not."

Alfred took the eye-patch from him and took his glasses off. He slipped the patch over his left eye and pouted at Arthur, "My vision is worse than before."

"Deal with it, if you are recognised, you will be killed, no questions asked. If you are told to tell your story… make something up," Arthur told him.

"My story?"

He nodded, "About how you came to be on my ship. Someone is bound to ask."

"Sure…"

"Jolly good. Now then, let's go."

* * *

Alfred thought it was funny that the first place Arthur went after arriving on the island was a pub. He'd tried to escape a few times but Arthur was always watching him, even when he couldn't see him he just knew when Alfred was trying to make a run for it. Alfred didn't like it. He wanted to explore! He'd never been here before and every part of his being was screaming for an adventure, even if said adventure would be dangerous. But Arthur was having none of it, oh no… the Brit would keep Alfred at his side at all times and the American wasn't allowed to talk unless spoken to.

Alfred didn't know what his problem was. Why was he so protective? Surely he was just a burden to the pirate and the sooner he got rid of him the better? No, this wasn't the case. Admittedly Arthur had become somewhat warmer towards Alfred over the last couple of days and it wasn't that Alfred didn't appreciate that (seriously, who wants to be glared at all day, every day?) but he did wonder why.

Alfred looked around as Arthur got them a drink. He noticed the barmaid greeted Arthur like an old friend and gave him their drinks for free, as a welcome back present. Arthur smiled slightly, "Thanks Feliks…"

"You're, like, totally welcome Arthur!" Feliks giggled placed the glasses on the bartop and walked away. Alfred looked over at Arthur and asked, "How do you know her?"

"By her I presume you mean him?" Arthur smirked, "We're old friends."

Alfred spluttered, "That's a dude?" he asked, totally bewildered as he looked down the bar and Feliks winked at him. Feeling slightly afraid, Alfred grabbed their drinks and led the way to sit down at a table by the window. Arthur followed and when they sat down, neither of them said a word. Alfred looked out the window and wondered who should talk first. The silence dragged out longer than he wanted so he piped up, "So… why are we here?"

"We need supplies," Arthur replied shortly and sipped his ale quietly. Alfred nodded.

"I see. What kind of supplies?"

"Food, water, ammunition…" Arthur replied bluntly and fell silent once again. Alfred sighed. It was so hard to keep a conversation with this guy!

He folded his arms on the table and rested his head upon them and cast his gaze out of the window. This was so boring! Staying at Arthur's side constantly felt so restricting! He was itching to get outside and wander around, even if it were only for an hour. Alfred sighed heavily as the door to the pub opened and someone called out, "Arthur! Mi amigo!"

"Oh bloody hell…"

Alfred sat up and looked around to see a man walking towards them with a big smile. He wore a long red coat with a fancy hat similar to Arthur's. From what Alfred could see this man was tanned and had somewhat curly brown hair. His expression was a total opposite to Arthur's. His warm smile made Alfred smile too, unlike Arthur who kept his trademark scowl firmly in place.

The man pulled up a chair and sat next to Arthur, who glanced at him and asked, "What are you doing here?"

The man shrugged, "I decided I needed a vacation."

"You really are a twit…" Arthur sighed and grumbled into his glass of ale. The man's smile didn't falter and he responded, "Why are you here, Arthur? Surely you're not here for a vacation too?"

"Git, I have more important things to do that take a vacation!"

Alfred snickered and Arthur glared at him. Unaware of the glare Alfred just smiled innocently as the man asked, "And who's this?"

"This is Alfred. He works on my ship. Alfred, this is Antonio, an acquaintance of mine…"

"Hi!" Alfred greeted and extended his hand for Antonio to shake. Antonio accepted his hand and shook it firmly and continued to smile.

Arthur looked between the two of them and wondered how two people could smile so much.

"Antonio how's your crew?" Arthur asked in an attempt to make conversation.

"They're fine. They're around somewhere. I think Lovino is still sulking in the ship," he sighed and shook his head. Arthur nodded and before he could reply Alfred asked, "Who's Lovino?"

"My first mate," Antonio replied, "I wish he would come and join me, but he's just so grumpy."

"I know what you mean," Alfred grinned and a shooting pain shot through his shin as Arthur's boot came in contact with his leg. He shot the pirate a glare but it was dwarfed by the captain's own glare. Alfred came to the conclusion that Arthur could out-glare anyone.

Arthur stood and left the table without a word, and walked to the bar to get another drink. Alfred watched him as Feliks struck up conversation to which Arthur responded immediately. Alfred wished he could talk to Arthur like that.

Antonio, who had been watching him the whole time, spoke up and asked, "So… how do you know Arthur?"

All right, Alfred. Time for some epic story telling.

"Well, to cut a long story short… I was shipwrecked after getting into a battle with another pirate ship. Arthur's ship sailed past and he rescued me. So I'm working for him on his ship," Alfred nodded. His story was partly true. He did get shipwrecked, and he was sort of rescued.

Antonio nodded and asked, "Who were you fighting?"

"Eh… I can't remember. Just some random pirates…"

"How long ago?"

"A few days."

Antonio nodded and replied, "Alright," he smiled and Alfred asked, "You're a captain, right?"

"Si, you could tell?"

Alfred nodded, "Your hat is like Arthur's."

Antonio laughed, "I guess it gave me away."

"So, what's your story?" Alfred asked. Antonio leaned back in his chair and began talking.

"It all happened six years ago. I was born in Madrid, Spain, to a wealthy family. We relocated to a small port town and every day I would go to the harbour and watch the ships for hours on end. I decided that this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to sail the world."

Alfred smiled. That was his dream too, but he knew that Antonio's outcome was a little different to his own.

Antonio glanced out the window for a couple of seconds then looked back at Alfred, "I knew my parents wouldn't allow me to go if I told them, but I knew I had to leave. I decided it was worth a try, so I asked them. Of course, the answer was what I expected."

"So then what did you do?" Alfred asked. It was obvious that he didn't listen to them otherwise he wouldn't be sat here now.

"I needed to go, my whole being longed for it, so in secret I gathered a crew and eventually after watching the harbour for a few days, we commandeered the grandest ship we could find, and left Spain."

Alfred's heroic side almost resurfaced but he somehow managed to keep it down. He didn't like how Antonio practically stole a ship, and no doubt fought its previous crew, but if he revealed what he was thinking then he would be caught for sure. He took a breath and his smile returned, "Then what?"

"It was great," Antonio replied, "We sailed and saw the world. The ocean was more beautiful than I imagined it to be. But one day… we were attacked."

Alfred eyes widened, "By who?"

"Asian pirates. You must know that at the time it wasn't our intention to become involved with piracy. We were just young souls looking to see the world, that's all…" Antonio insisted. Alfred believed him. He nodded and stayed silent, urging him to continue.

"They almost destroyed us," Antonio said, "I was glad that this ship was strong. Her cannons were excellent and gave us a chance of a fair battle. Eventually the other pirates sailed away and we were able to make repairs. However, many of our supplies were lost in the fight, such as food and water, and we were days away from land. Two days later, we got desperate… a merchant ship sailed past and we took control of it. We killed the crew, stole their supplies and burnt the ship down. I had never felt so good."

Alfred felt his blood boil. If this was Antonio's story, he wondered about Arthur's.

Antonio continued, "So that's how we became pirates. And then I met Lovino."

"How did you meet him?" Alfred asked but Antonio shook his head, "That is his story. You must ask him."

Alfred opened his mouth to speak but Arthur returned to the table and said, "Alfred, we're leaving."

Alfred almost pouted but decided that if he did, Arthur would probably hit him. He stood and Arthur said his goodbyes to Antonio and the two left the pub.

"It's getting late, so we'll head back to the ship. The rest of the crew have gathered some supplies so we'll need to spend a little longer here in order to obtain more. Then we'll leave."

"How long are we here for then?"

"I'd say about three days," Arthur replied and walked back onto the ship. Alfred nodded and stood on the deck.

"I'm going to stay out here a little longer," he said. Arthur looked back at him and paused for a moment.

"Alright… but don't leave the ship."

"Sure…" he said and walked towards the railing.

"Goodnight…" Arthur said and retired to his cabin. Alfred smiled in response and leant against the railing and looked at the setting sun.

He thought of Antonio's story and couldn't help but wonder about Lovino. He would find out one way or another.

* * *

A/N: The cast is getting bigger with the introductions of Spain and Poland, and also the brief mention of the Asians means they'll be introduced at some point in the story :3

I'm also trying to find a way to work in Ivan, his sisters and the Baltics, so if you have any ideas then leave a comment and I'll consider it. If your idea is chosen, you'll get full credit of course. (both ideas on here and dA will be considered).

I don't have much else to say, so have a nice day ^^

~Iggy :)


	11. 11

If there were one thing that Francis discovered over the last couple of days, it would be that he hated Alfred F. Jones. Why, he couldn't determine exactly. Perhaps it was the mere sight of him close to Arthur. Perhaps it was the way in which he looked at the captain- that charming smile and twinkling blue eyes.

Or perhaps it wasn't how Alfred acted around Arthur. Maybe it was vice versa. The way Arthur's cheeks would turn a gentle pink whenever Alfred smiled at him, the way he would watch him leave when he thought no one was looking. Maybe.

One thing was absolute. Francis hated Alfred. Despised may be a better term for this emotion. Yes, that would suffice.

Alfred, of course, was oblivious to this. Like he would to everyone else, he would smile at the first mate and wave at him happily with that brilliant smile. It was though nothing could bring him down, despite his situation. Though he would make a few French jokes now and then, they were all in good spirit (even if Arthur found them absolutely bloody hilarious).

As much as he wanted to, Francis didn't let his hatred show. He was French, from the country of l'amour! He was a lover, not a fighter, as he would often insist no matter how much this contradicted itself when the crew found themselves in a battle. He wouldn't retaliate to Alfred's obnoxious comments though said American had no idea much he was irritating him.

Francis was glad for Tortuga for a number of reasons. The first obvious reasons were sea, sun, and sex. It was that simple and it didn't need explaining. The last reason was that because Arthur had let them off the ship, and they could do whatever the hell they wanted once they'd completed chores and such, he barely saw Alfred. But this was also a bad thing because Arthur had insisted Alfred stay by his side at all times for the duration of their time on land. Francis had no choice but to grit his teeth and deal with it the best he could.

However, that being said, Francis had been planning revenge. Francis wanted Alfred off the ship and away from Arthur. He wanted Alfred out of their lives forever and then things could go back to how they were before. The way Francis liked it.

Another reason Francis now liked Tortuga, was that when Arthur came back to the ship the previous night, he told Francis that he had encountered 'that idiot Spaniard' in Feliks' tavern and this put Francis in such a happy mood he could dance around if he wanted to. But he didn't want to, so he did no such thing.

The next day, Francis arranged for them to meet in Feliks' tavern in the afternoon. It had been a long time since he'd seen one of his oldest friends and he thought it was about time for a catch up. Francis sat at a table, a little early for their meeting, and watched out of the window with a vacant expression.

The tavern door opened and Francis looked up and a smile plastered his face as he saw the familiar face of his friend.

"Antonio, mon ami! It's been too long!" Francis exclaimed as he hurried towards his friend and held his arms out for a hug. Antonio smiled in return and embraced him quickly and said in reply, "Si, too long indeed. I trust you remember Lovino?" he indicated to the scowling young man beside him. Francis chuckled.

"How could I forget," he made to move closer but Lovino backed away quickly and glared at him.

"Come near me and I will destroy your most prized possession!" he spat as his glare intensified. Francis just smiled, though the threat unnerved him. Lovino was deadly serious and Francis really didn't want to loose his prized possession. How else would he be able to show his love?

Antonio pouted at his first mate, "Lovi, be nice."

"No! And stop calling me that, you stupid tomato bastard!"

Ah, so affectionate.

Francis shook his head, "You haven't changed one bit."

Antonio decided that the tension between his two friends was a little too much to handle so he decided to try and lighten the atmosphere by asking, "So, who would like a drink?"

Lovino merely shook his head but Francis decided to take him up on that offer.

"Wine, s'il vous plaît."

Antonio nodded with a bright smile and hurried towards the bar. Lovino huffed once again and brushed past Francis and took a seat at the table he was previously sitting at.

The Frenchman followed and sat opposite him and smiled a bit but his smile was only returned with a glare.

"So…" Francis began, trying to make some kind of conversation with Lovino, "Have you heard from your brother lately?"

Lovino's glare darkened and he snapped, "No! And don't talk about him."

Francis sighed. That failed, didn't it?

Luckily for him, Antonio returned to the table with their drinks and sat next to Lovino and placed Francis' wine glass in front of him. He looked between them and wondered why they didn't get along. Well, he knew why, but he didn't want to go there.

"So, how is everything?" Antonio asked, "I saw Arthur yesterday."

"Yes, he did mention your meeting," Francis replied and took a sip of his wine, "Life is… tolerable, I suppose."

"What is bothering you?" Antonio asked. Lovino wasn't interested in their conversation and he looked out the window again with a bored expression. Neither of the two noticed. Francis ran a hand through his silky locks and sighed deeply.

"Many things, mon ami, none of which you could help me with."

"Perhaps talking about them may help?" Antonio suggested with a small smile. Francis held his wine lass up and inspected the liquid within it before looking up.

"I take it you have met our new 'addition' to the crew?" Francis asked and Antonio nodded, "Si. You are talking about Alfred?"

"Oui, the one and only apparently…"

"I like him, he seems nice," Antonio smiled, "Is he bothering you in some way?"

Francis merely looked up at him and Antonio smiled knowingly, "He's getting in the way, isn't he? With Arthur?"

Francis narrowed his eyes and nodded. Antonio shook his head, "And you don't know what to do about it?"

"I have been thinking of ways to… dispose of him, but none would work."

"Throw him overboard…" Lovino piped up and spared Francis a brief glance before looking back out the window. Antonio laughed and patted Lovino's head, which in return his hand got slapped and he was glared at.

"I wish I could, mon cher, I wish I could."

"I don't understand why you hate him so much," Antonio sighed.

"If only you knew the truth…" Francis said quietly and Lovino lanced over at him.

"The truth about what?"

"Alfred. You both really have no idea."

Lovino shrugged, having not met Alfred. Antonio however, looked confused.

"Alfred told me his ship was attacked and Arthur rescued him."

Francis laughed, "Really?"

The Spanish captain was now suspicious, "Francis… something doesn't feel right."

Francis looked down into his wine glass again and inspected the liquid once more before replying, "Alfred hasn't been honest with you."

Antonio looked as though he figured as much. He'd guessed this when Francis started to laugh, "So… what is the truth?"

"It is a secret that I shall tell you both with the trust that you do not repeat what I am to say," Francis stated and leaned in a bit closer. Lovino had now given the Frenchman his full attention and both he and his captain leaned in a bit too in order to hear Francis clearer.

"Alfred Jones works against pirates. He is our enemy. Arthur and the crew attacked his ship one day in order to kill him but instead, for some bizarre reason, he did not and is now forcing him to work on the ship."

Antonio and Lovino looked at each other, both shocked. Antonio more so because of the lie Alfred had told. He had trusted him with his own story too.

"So why haven't you killed him yet?" Lovino asked, rather shocked that Francis hadn't taken matters into his own hands.

"I would, if Arthur wouldn't shoot me where I stood if he ever found out. If he ever found out about what I'm telling you I am surely doomed."

Antonio sat back against his chair and looked thoughtful for a second. Lovino glanced over at him and asked, "What are you thinking?"

A shadow passed over Antonio's face and he smiled a bit, "Francis, I think I know someone who can help you…"

* * *

Francis was happy.

He was so happy there was no way he could put it into words.

He returned to the ship before sundown wearing a smug smile.

From the railing, Alfred looked over at the first mate and being oblivious to the reason behind his smirk, he waved at him with a bright smile, "Hey Francis! Where have you been all day?"

Francis looked over at him and his smirk broadened slightly, "Oh, nowhere, mon cher. Just… getting reacquainted."

Alfred shrugged and looked back out to the horizon. Francis noted that he liked to look at the sunsets.

"Goodnight, mon cher," Francis said and walked across the deck and inside the ship. Alfred waved again, "Night!"

Francis walked into his cabin and locked the door behind him. He was still smirking.

Oh he was very happy. Very happy indeed.

* * *

A/N: Oh no, what's this? Francis is plotting something with Antonio? D:

And at last, after being mentioned so many times, Lovi makes his debut!

I just want to thank you guys for your suggestions for Ivan, and I have chosen my favourite idea. I won't say, though, because I don't want to ruin anything! ^^

Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you continue to review and whatnot.

Have a nice day!

~Iggy :)

_Edit: Corrected minor grammatical errors :3_


	12. 12

It only felt like a few minutes, but Matthew was woken up by the hustle and bustle of the rest of Gilbert's crew. He kept his head down and said nothing, seeing as they were kind of annoyed, due to the fact Feliciano had woke them up by hitting frying pans together (then ran away afterwards, of course, declaring that it wasn't his fault and they shouldn't toss him overboard).

The Canadian got himself ready for the day then headed to get some breakfast then see Gilbert about his duties for the day. Matthew wasn't looking forward to the hours ahead. He didn't know what he could possibly do for the albino.

As soon as breakfast was done with, he left the kitchen and willed himself to not get lost on the way to Gilbert's cabin. The ship wasn't that hard to remember, but all the doors looked the same. Matthew walked slowly, inspecting the doors as he passed them and when he thought he found the right one, he took a breath and knocked. Hearing permission to enter, he opened the door a little and poked his head inside. He was relieved that he found the right room, and at the same time, he wasn't. He didn't know what was in store for him today.

From his place on the desk, Gilbert grinned at him and his red eyes twinkled mysteriously. Gilbird sat on his unruly silver hair and when he saw Matthew, he flapped his wings and chirped happily. Matthew couldn't help but smile a little and he came into the room fully, and Gilbert didn't fail to notice his little bird's reaction to the blond.

"Hey, he likes you!" he observed and looked up at the yellow ball of fluff upon his head. Gilbird chirped again and the pirate laughed lightly. He looked back over at Matthew, who felt awkward again. He didn't like the way those red eyes looked at him. He felt like they looked straight through him. Trying not to show his nervousness, he looked Gilbert right in the eye and asked as steadily as he could, "So... what are my duties for today?"

Gilbert merely waved him over and when Matthew walked a little closer, Gilbert rolled his eyes, and when the blond was close enough, he reached out unexpectedly and grabbed his wrist. He pulled roughly and with a small squeak of surprise, Matthew landed on his lap. Gilbert wrapped his arms around the other's waist before he could jump off, and his obnoxious smirk returned.

"Much better."

Matthew was confused. He didn't have a clue what kind of signals Gilbert was giving him here. He just sat there, unable to move. Gilbert had a strong grip around his waist.

"I've changed my mind about you," Gilbert said, looking thoughtful for a moment. Matthew tilted his head and glanced at him.

"I like you more than I thought."

He does? Well, isn't that—wait what? What exactly did he mean by that? How much did he like him?

Enough to have the Canadian on his lap, apparently...

"Ja, so like I said, I like you more than I though, and I've been thinking about it. I've changed my mind about our deal."

Now Matthew was worried. Originally Gilbert said he had to work for him, and if he was satisfied by the end of the week, he would tell him who had his brother. If he changed his mind, who knows what he wanted instead of his labour.

Gilbert released one of his arms from his waist and slowly traced one hand up his leg. Matthew blushed deeply. What was he doing?

Gilbert said nothing for a moment and he continued to lightly trail his finger up and down Matthew's leg for a few more moments then wrapped his arm back around his waist again. But he didn't stop there; he gently rubbed his side with one hand then with his other arm he tightened his grip slightly. Matthew didn't know if he should protest or not. He was at loss. If he protested, Gilbert might change his mind about telling him who had his brother, and then what would he do? Seeing as this was the only choice he had, he didn't say a word.

Gilbert finally spoke again, "If you... pleasure me, I will tell you what you want to know."

Matthew's cheeks turned scarlet. Just what exactly was wrong with this man?

"E-excuse me?"

"You heard," Gilbert replied and he smirked again. Matthew gulped audibly. What was he going to do? He'd never done anything like this before, hell he'd never even thought of doing anything like this before. It never crossed his mind and he couldn't admit he was 'curious' because he never had been.

"A-and if I...I...you know... you'll t-tell me who has my brother...?"

"Ja."

Matthew pondered this. Eventually he nodded and his voice grew stronger, "You'll tell me where m-my brother is and you'll help me get him back, right?"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. He had a good idea where Kirkland's ship would be, but whether he could afford to take Matthew there was another matter. But then again, he wasn't really doing anything of great importance. He never did. And also it would give him a good excuse to blow holes in Kirkland's ship as revenge. He didn't care if Francis was the guy's first mate, the Brit needed to pay. Gilbert smirked, it would seem the two of them wanted to get to Kirkland, and he supposed it wouldn't hurt in helping out. After all, he was awesome! He would deal with Matthew's occupation later...

"Alright, you got a deal," he finally said and leaned in, but Matthew leaned back. He narrowed his eyes a little, still untrusting, "Shake on it."

Gilbert took one of his arms from the Canadian's waist and stuck out his hand. Matthew shook his hand and gave it a light shake. Gilbert snorted.

"What was that? That sucked. This is how you give a hand shake!" he gripped his hand a little tighter and gave it a harsh shake, which make Matthew wince a little. Alfred always told him he shook hands like a girl. Apparently Gilbert did too. He managed a weak smile in response and Gilbert grinned cheekily at him.

They remained still for a moment and Gilbert moved Matthew's arms around his neck and pulled him closer. That blush the blond had was just too cute. He couldn't resist anymore. Matthew looked nervous, but Gilbert figured he'd get the hang of it eventually.

He leaned in and captured Matthew's lips in a rough kiss. He hadn't intended to be so forceful, but he couldn't help it. Matthew gave a small muffled squeak and didn't respond for a moment. He slowly moved his head a little so they could kiss easier and moved his lips with Gilberts. Never in a million years would he expect to be sitting here on a pirate's lap, never mind actually kissing him. Now he was closer to Gilbert he could see that he was... well, attractive? Yeah... that was the right word...

Instinctively, he slowly tightened his grip around the albino's neck, in effect deepening the kiss. Matthew felt Gilbert smile into the kiss and it made him feel good. At least he was doing something right.

It seemed Gilbert got bored with just kissing because started to rub Matthew's sides again, which made him blush. The pirate parted his lips and licked Matthew's lip for entry, and was quickly granted it. He shoved his tongue into his mouth (which earned him another muffled squeak of surprise from the blond) and had it explore. He felt Matthew hesitantly slip his own tongue into his mouth and make it roam around too. Gilbert rubbed his tongue against Matthew's, which made him let out a small moan, which surprised them both. Matthew blushed and Gilbert deepened the kiss as much as he could.

The two continued for a little longer before they both needed air, though it was Matthew who pulled away first. That was his first kiss and...he loved it. He didn't expect to, but he didn't care. He wasn't even sure if he liked Gilbert like that, but the kiss was very enjoyable. And he wanted to do it again. Now, this didn't seem too bad. He was sure he'd be able to get information about his brother now.

It seemed Gilbert wasn't quite finished with him because as soon as he took a few breaths of air, he started to attack Matthew's neck with kisses. Matthew closed his eyes as Gilbert sucked and nipped at certain parts of his skin. It felt so good. He kissed around the blond's neck and eventually after earning small moans; he got a louder groan from the other as he assumed he hit his weak spot. Gilbert smirked against the soft skin and continued to suck at that certain spot. Matthew groaned in pleasure and tightened his grip again, which made Gilbert grin once more.

He continued with the sucking for a moment longer then pulled away to see the rather impressive hickey he had created. Matthew looked at him through half-lidded eyes and he panted a little.

God, he was so irresistible.

Now he couldn't take it. Gilbert, without warning, scooped Matthew into his arms bridal style and carried him over to the bed.

* * *

Alfred was bored.

Alfred was so fucking bored!

He hated being bored. He huffed and stuck his lip out in a childish pout and stomped around the ship's deck. He wasn't allowed off the ship. Why? Because Arthur didn't feel like leaving. The pirate captain sat on the steps on the deck, looking over maps and notes he'd taken from his cabin. It seemed such a shame to sit inside on a nice day like this.

Alfred was determined to have Arthur notice him, even if was just a little. He would sigh loudly, stomp around as loud as he could, he would exclaim that he was bored many a times, but no matter what he did, Arthur didn't even bat an eyelash.

Alfred eventually gave up after half an hour. He still pouted though, and he sat beside Arthur and looked over at the map he was studying. It looked like he was mapping out their next course, seeing as they would be leaving Tortuga in a couple of days.

There was no one around. They crew had gone out on certain jobs or were taking a day off. Francis had disappeared that morning without a word to Alfred.

"Arthur?"

He was ignored.

"Arthur?"

He was ignored once again.

"Arthur?"

There was still no response from the pirate captain. Alfred bit his lip.

"Captain?"

He was ignored again. Alfred despaired. What the hell?

"Arthur!"

"What you bloody wanker?"

Well... that was better than no response at all. Alfred blinked and when he went to open his mouth, he was stopped by Arthur glaring.

"If you say you're bored, I'm going to tie you up to the railing and leave you hanging over the side of the ship all day. Are we at an understanding?"

"But... I really am bor—ahhh!"

"Get here you!" Arthur jumped up and grabbed a piece of rope. Alfred ran for it. He hurried to the other side of the deck but Arthur advanced on him like a predator hunting their pray. He could see the anger in his eyes and Alfred didn't doubt that he really would tie him up and leaving him hanging over the side of the ship. He backed up as far as he could.

"Arthur... please, let's think about the consequences of this!" Alfred said, "Let's not be hasty!" he held his hands up in surrender.

Arthur was having none of it though, "Oh no you don't, you git! Get back here!"

Alfred backed up a little more and cursed quietly when his back hit the railing. Arthur had him cornered and he had nowhere to run.

This was totally unfair. Why couldn't Arthur just give him something to do, rather than just tie him up and leave him for the seagulls? They'd love that, wouldn't they? Alfred hated seagulls. They always stole his bread!

Arthur walked a little further, holding the long rope in his hands. He was smirking now and Alfred was truly scared. Arthur really was going to leave him for the seagulls!

Arthur continued to walk towards him until they were practically chest to chest. He smirked and didn't care that Alfred was a little latter than him. Not by much, but enough to have him look up slightly. Arthur pulled the rope threateningly in his hands and Alfred had to think fast. What could he do?

Doing the first thing he could think of, and Lord only knows why he did it, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Arthur's. That was more than enough to distract the pirate captain; he not only froze, he was so shocked that he dropped the rope at his feet.

Alfred, on the other hand, never thought that kissing Arthur would feel like this. His stomach fluttered and he slowly wrapped one arm around Arthur's waist. Only the gods would know what possessed him to take such a risk. Arthur would probably stab him to death when they pulled apart.

Alfred couldn't deny that during his time with Arthur, he was starting to notice things about the pirate that he actually liked; they way he would smile that rare smile whenever Alfred would say something mildly amusing, he loved the way those green eyes would watch him when he spoke. He felt those eyes shouldn't look at anyone else. Little things that Arthur did made Alfred happy and even though they both worked against each other, the taller blond couldn't deny the attraction was there.

Arthur on the other hand had no idea what to think. Alfred was the most annoying git he'd ever met (excluding the frog), and this was just... he drew a blank. He had no idea. His cheeks burned a bright red and the blush only grew when Alfred's arm went around his waist.

He had to admit he'd softened up to the other blond over their time together. He did like him, though he was very irritating, and he didn't have a clue why they were kissing on the middle of the deck, exposed to anyone... who... shit.

Arthur's eyes widened a little and he shoved Alfred away from him. He glared, "Do you have any idea how foolish that was?"

"Uh..." Alfred scratched the back of his neck. He should really start praying now...

"Anyone could have seen us! Oh God, what if someone did? Christ..."

Alfred blinked. Arthur was worried about being seen. He didn't even ask why he kissed him. Did that mean he liked it too? He was unsure but he didn't ask him yet. He shrugged a little more and said, "I'm sure no one saw us Arthur. It'll be just fine!" he smiled that million watt grin and Arthur's cheeks burned a bright red once more.

"G-git, you had better be right or I WILL drown you!"

Alfred held his hands up in surrender again and said, "I am! Trust me!"

Arthur nodded and he looked down for a moment. Alfred bit his lip. Despite being a terrifying pirate captain, and Alfred will gladly admit he was scary at times, Arthur was so cute sometimes...

"What was that for anyway?" he didn't sound angry. He sounded confused. Alfred looked at him and shrugged a little, "I... I just wanted to distract you from tossing me overboard. It worked a charm!"

Arthur looked at him again, and his green eyes held confusion and they even looked slightly vulnerable. For so long he had managed to keep people out of his heart, and Alfred was slowly worming his way past his defences. The vulnerability lasted a split second before anger took over.

"Is that it? Just a distraction? You though you'd fuck with my head just to save yourself? Thank you for that, I hope you're happy!" Arthur shoved him away again and stormed away. Alfred was so confused. He realised how that must have sounded and he wanted to toss himself overboard. He sighed and hurried after him.

"Arthur! Arthur, wait!"

"Fuck off!"

"No listen!" he grabbed his wrist and before he knew it, the barrel of Arthur's gun was pointed between his eyes.

"I should shoot you where you stand!"

"No, wait! Just listen to me! That all came out wrong! Honestly!" Alfred pleaded. Arthur's eyes softened ever so slightly and he eventually lowered the gun.

Alfred sighed in relief, "Listen... I'm sorry about how that sounded... really I am. I'll be honest, it was supposed to be a distraction... but!" he waved his hands when Arthur raised the gun again, "When I kissed you I realised it felt right!"

Arthur lowered the gun again. He watched him suspiciously.

"It... it felt nice..." Alfred admitted as he looked at the floor. He could feel Arthur glaring holes into him and he looked up again, "I've liked you for a long time... ever since that time in the dressing room... I have no idea why... but I do... and I have no idea what caused me to kiss you just then, because for so long I've been so scared to tell you..."

Arthur had put his gun away now and was watching him again. His defences were still up and his green eyes held the anger from earlier.

He didn't trust him.

He didn't trust anyone.

"Are you just saying this so I'll let you go?"

"No! I mean it!" Alfred insisted and took a step forward, but as he did so, Arthur stepped back. He shook his head.

"I don't believe you..."

Alfred stared with hurt in his eyes as Arthur walked into his room and locked the door behind him.

* * *

A/N: *Dies* This killed me! Sorry for the long wait; I hope this makes up for it ;A;

Anyway, as you can see I've changed the structure of the chapter a little. From now on, I'll be dividing the chapter in half. One half for Mattie and the other for Alfred. It'll make the chapter longer and less boring that way. I hope. D: Anyway, it got kinda hot and the next chapter should have more smut ;D

PRUCAN. PRUCAN. PRUCAN. PRUC- *shot*

DRAMA! Will Arthur learn to trust Alfred?

I think that's it, so thanks for reading!

~Iggy :)


	13. 13

Arthur didn't want to admit it. There was no way on this earth would he admit it. Nothing could make him say it. Not a chance.

And yet, here he was brooding in his cabin with doubt playing at the back of his mind.

Alfred kissed him. Alfred kissed him and he liked it. His face turned red at the memory of Alfred's lips against his own. It wasn't as though he'd never kissed anyone before! He'd had his fair share of... experiences, and he knew how to kiss. It was just... he'd never kissed someone that he actually liked before.

Yes, he liked Alfred back. He was just too stubborn to admit it.

They had seen the way he looked at the American. They'd seen the way Arthur softened up around him. They knew he acted differently around him and there was no denying that he liked him. They were determined to tear down his defences and let Alfred in, no matter what.

Arthur looked at the pink fairy from his desk and he sighed lightly. The fairy placed her small hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. Arthur looked away; the fairy meant business.

"I mean it, Arthur. Get out there and tell him the truth!"

"No, I won't say it."

"Arthur..." the fairy said in a warning tone, but the pirate captain did not react to it. Arthur was and always had been a tough nut to crack, but she wasn't giving up yet.

"Why won't you say it? You're scared, aren't you?"

"I'm not scared!"

"You are! You're scared of being hurt again."

"I'm not. I just... I just don't want to say it so just leave me alone!"

"No!" the pink fairy fluttered in front of him and glared. She was joined by a blue fairy and a yellow fairy and they both glared at the pirate too.

Under the glare of three fairies, Arthur was starting to crack. The fairies were always his favourite (apart from Flying Mint Bunny, of course) and they always seemed to have a way with him. They could get him to admit things he didn't want to admit, and he could hardly keep any secrets from them.

He fidgeted in his chair and looked out the window again. The fairies glares hardened and the Englishman shook his head.

"I won't say it."

"You will."

"I won't."

"You will," the blue fairy nodded, "You will and when you do you'll feel so much better for it."

"How many times do we have to tell you this?" the yellow fairy sighed.

"Just admit it," the pink fairy said lightly, "there is nothing to be afraid of."

"No."

They sighed. Sometimes this man was just too much.

"Listen, Arthur... we can't tell him ourselves. If we could, we would, but we can't. The only person who can tell him is you. And you will tell him," the blue fairy declared.

"Why can't you just get off my case?" Arthur demanded. He stood up and walked to the door, "I'm going for a walk... don't follow me."

He opened the door and left the room. He closed it loudly behind him and walked through the deck and off the ship. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the fairies had not followed him and he sighed heavily.

The town was peaceful. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the sun. He looked around and the lazy atmosphere contagious. He walked past Feliks' tavern and was very tempted to drown his sorrows in some rum, but he decided against it. He didn't want his crew to carry him back to the ship drunk, like they have had to do in the past.

Instead he walked down to the beach. There was no one around and he decided to find a nice place on the sand to think about everything that had happened. A part of him wished he hadn't brought Alfred on to his ship, and that part was thinking of just telling him to go. Another part of him had gotten so used to the idiot's presence, and f he left he thought there would be a void that no one else could fill. He sighed, feeling completely at loss of what he could do to make it better.

He was a pirate! Things like this shouldn't concern him! He should be out on the sea, destroying ships and taking their treasure, not feeling like a love-sick teenager. He buried his face in his hands and let out a low groan on frustration.

"Hey... uh, you look like you need some company..."

Arthur looked up quickly to see Alfred sit beside him. His blue eyes were fixed on the crystal clear water in front of them, and he smiled, "The ocean's real pretty huh?"

Arthur nodded, "Yes, it is."

They sat in silence for a while, and Arthur kept stealing sneaky glances over at Alfred. He was angry that he'd followed him out here, but he decided he needed to face this problem instead of running away from it.

"Arthur..." Alfred said finally. Arthur looked over at him immediately and Alfred drew patterns in the sand with his index finger as he thought of what to say next.

"Listen..." he said, "I'm sorry about earlier. I know what I said sounded real wrong, and I wish I could have worded it differently, but... I suck at that."

Arthur found himself wanting to smile.

Alfred continued, "I meant what I said... about me liking you, 'cause I really do. I really, really do. And you need to believe me because I don't want you to be mad at me anymore."

Arthur said nothing. He kept his gaze focused ahead and he was determined not to look at him.

If he did, he may just crack.

Alfred watched him, and decided to take a risk. He cautiously shifted closer to Arthur until they were almost touching. When Arthur didn't slap him, he smiled a little.

His smile widened when he saw Arthur's cheeks turn slightly pink.

Alfred moved his hand a little then hesitated for a moment before placing it on top of Arthur's. He felt the pirate's hand move a little under his own, but his smile widened when he didn't move it away.

This action told him everything he needed to know.

Arthur kept his gaze ahead but he let a small smile creep on to his lips.

_At least I don't have to admit it out loud..._

* * *

Francis knew this was wrong. But he didn't have a choice.

He followed Antonio into a small tavern on the other side of town and immediately he was filled with dread.

"This person you mentioned, Antonio... he will help me, oui?"

Antonio nodded, "Si... he will," he replied with a small smirk.

* * *

A/N: So sorry for the wait! ;A;

I have no excuse... OTL

Lovino stood beside the Spaniard and had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.


	14. 14

The man standing behind the bar was tall in comparison to the two other men standing beside him. The tallest man had blond hair; it was so light it could easily be mistaken for being white. His eyes were peculiar; they were a light violet colour and his lips graced an innocent smile. The smile, however, did not reach his eyes as they were cold and cruel.

Francis felt shivers run down his spine.

"This is the man I was telling you about," Antonio said lowly and walked to the bar. Lovino followed silently, trying not to tremble. This man terrified him but he didn't want to show it.

Francis followed his friend and sat on the barstool beside him. One of the other men, a man with shoulder length brown hair and calm eyes, approached them and asked in a light voice, "What can I get you?"

"Wine," Antonio smiled.

"For all of you?" the man questioned and Antonio nodded, "Si, that would be great," he looked towards Lovino and placed a calm hand on his shoulder, knowing how he felt about the tallest man. The Italian did nothing in response.

Francis looked around the tavern; it was a dark place with little windows, and what windows it did have let through little light. The overall feel to the place gave off an uneasy aura. He shifted in his seat and wondered if this was such a good idea after all. He wanted Arthur to himself and he knew that the Brit wouldn't listen to him... but he might listen to someone like that tall man.

The brunette male came back with their drinks and he looked to the taller man quickly then back at Antonio, "What brings you here?"

"My friend Francis-" he gestured to the Frenchman beside him, "-requests help from Ivan."

"Why?" The man asked and Antonio shook his head, "It would do you well not to pry, Toris."

The brunette- Toris- blushed deeply and averted his eyes, "I'm sorry... excuse me..." he hurried away from the bar and towards the taller man Francis guessed was Ivan. He whispered in a language unfamiliar to the Frenchman and Ivan looked over to the trio. His violet eyes scanned each of them but rested on Francis the longest. It was uncomfortable and he didn't like it... the way he looked at him. He looked over at the blond again as he left the bar area and disappeared into the back. Toris looked over at them then at a smaller blond beside him. The smaller blond was trembling from head to toe and was refusing to look anyone in the eye. Toris murmured something to him but the blond squeaked in fright and shook his head. Francis watched at Toris said something again and eventually the other male gave in and shuffled towards the trio. Toris followed and said, "Raivis here will take you to Ivan. Just you, Francis, as you are the one with the business."

"Oui," Francis said and finished his wine. Antonio looked a little uncomfortable with the decision but he didn't protest to it. Francis stood up and followed Raivis into the back; the smaller blond was still shaking. He looked no older then fifteen and he wondered what had scared him so much.

Raivis opened the door and led Francis down a narrow hall. Even there, there was very little light. He shuddered a little and wondered if he was doing the right thing. He wasn't sure if this man- Ivan- was the kind of person who could help him, but if he wanted to get rid of Alfred, he would have to try. After all, Francis didn't want to get his own hands dirty. He would have someone do it for him.

The small boy ahead of him raised a trembling hand and knocked upon the large wooden door they had reached. He waited for a moment, then when a voice from inside allowed them entry, he opened the door and stepped inside, "F-Francis, s-sir," he presented and stood aside to allow the Frenchman inside. The room was small with little light, just like the bar area. There was a large cabinet by the wall along with a few draws. The large desk was situated in front of them and he could see the tall man sitting behind it. His face was hidden by shadow, but Francis didn't need to see it to feel unsettled. The innocent voice started to speak, "Ah, do come in. Take a seat, da?"

"Oui..." Francis replied and moved to the chair in front of the desk. Raivis turned to leave but Ivan called him back, "Raivis, you stay here with me."

Francis could have sworn he heard the boy whine in protest but he moved to stand beside Ivan anyway. Ivan now leaned forward, his face leaving the shadows and he smiled at Francis, "What can I do for you?"

"I need someone taken care of," Francis said. He looked around nervously then continued, "His name is Alfred Jones, he works on my sh- my captain's ship."

"And what is it exactly that this Alfred has done to upset you so much?" Ivan asked gleefully. What the hell was up with this man? He was just so strange! Francis kept his cool and said, "I believe he is trying to bring our captain out of piracy."

"Ah, now that is a problem. Who is your captain?" Ivan asked.

"Arthur Kirkland," Francis said. He didn't believe that Alfred was trying to bring Arthur out of his wicked ways; he didn't think anyone could... but he was stealing him away from him and Francis wasn't at all happy about this. If Alfred was out the picture, Francis would be there with a shoulder to cry on, just for Captain Kirkland. And he knew he would take it, and then he would be right where he wanted him.

"Da, this is a problem," Ivan frowned for a second then he smiled again, "How long are you here for?"

"I don't know. We've been here for a while, so I suspect we should be setting sail within the next few days."

"Da," Ivan paused for a moment then leaned forward slightly, "You are traitor, you are devious and you are selfish. I like that. I will help you, but of course I do not work for free. You understand, da?"

"Oui, of course," Francis nodded and placed a hand into his coat pocket. He withdrew a large bag of gold and placed it on the table. Ivan took the back and emptied its contents. He counted the gold coins slowly and precisely for what seemed like a lifetime. When he was finally done, he put the gold in the bag and gave it to Raivis, who left the room to place it with the rest of Ivan's treasure.

"Very well, I accept your payment and I will take care of this Alfred. Natalia?" Ivan looked to his right and Francis was startled to see a figure move from the corner of the room. Obviously, the figure was female and when she moved into the light, he could see she was holding a large, sharp knife. Her long blonde hair fell down her back and her blue eyes were cruel and emotionless. She stood beside her brother and said, "Yes?"

"You know what you have to do, sister" Ivan smiled. Natalia nodded and shot a harsh glare at Francis before leaving. The Frenchman was even more nervous; were all of Ivan's family members scary?

"You can go now," Ivan said, shooing him away with a wave of his hand, "Your business has been taken care of."

"Merci," Francis smiled a little and stood up. Ivan pushed Raivis forward slightly and the boy showed Francis back to the bar area. When they arrived, Francis walked back to Antonio and Lovino and the trio left the bar. As soon as they stepped into the warm afternoon sun, Lovino sighed in relief and said, "Thank fuck for that. I hated sitting in there; it's so fucking creepy."

"Language, Lovi," Antonio said but he too was feeling relieved. He looked to Francis at said, "Did everything go according to plan?"

"Oui," Francis smiled slightly, "He sent his sister."

Antonio smiled slightly, "I hope Alfred knows how to hide."

* * *

Lately, Alfred felt as though he were treading on eggshells around Arthur. He had to be careful how he spoke, how he acted or just how he presented himself at all when around the British pirate. Arthur didn't want anyone getting suspicious, though he didn't know how anyone could. No one would suspect it anyway, so Alfred didn't get why Arthur was so paranoid.

The two sat alone in Arthur's room; the pirate working on their next route and Alfred lazing around on the bed.

"Arthur. Stop working and keep me company," he stated and patted the plush blanket beside him. They had decided to take things slowly. Arthur was still extremely nervous about this and he was adamant that no one found out. Alfred didn't care, as long as he got kisses. Arthur ignored him and continued to work on his map, but Alfred wasn't giving up yet.

"Arthur, come on. You've been there for ages. Take a break. Please," he smiled and Arthur finally turned around. Alfred smiled wider and patted the space beside him again and the Brit finally gave up, "All right, just for a little while," he stood up and checked the door to make sure it was locked and he walked to the bed and lay beside Alfred. Immediately Alfred wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek, but Arthur tried to shove him away.

"Come on Arthur, no one can see. You said you would let me kiss you when we're alone," Alfred said and managed to kiss his cheek again. Arthur wrinkled his nose and shoved Alfred away again. Alfred didn't care though; he adjusted himself so he tucked his head under the pirate's chin and cuddled up to him like a small child would to their mother. Having no choice but to wrap his arms around him, Arthur sighed and allowed Alfred to remain where he was. Alfred smiled and closed his eyes, happy with the position he was in and the two sat in silence for a little while before Arthur started to speak again.

"Alfred, I'm concerned about Francis."

"Why?" Alfred glanced up at the captain and Arthur shrugged. He looked at the wall ahead of him and continued, "He's been gone all day and I'm seeing him less and less these days. Do you think he's all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He's probably made some friends or something," Alfred said. Arthur nodded. he knew that Antonio was still in town so maybe Francis was spending time with him. He pushed the worry to the back of his mind and forced himself to relax.

"Hey Arthur?"

"Hm?"

"Can we go on a date?"

"Absolutely not!"

Alfred pouted, "Why?"

"Because people might think there's something going on and if they ever find out that's the case, I'll be ruined."

"Stop being so dramatic!" Alfred rolled his eyes and sat up. He looked at the blond pirate and pouted, "Why won't you go on a date with me?"

"Because if people find out what's going on between us, then no one will take me seriously," Arthur said coldly and he narrowed his eyes.

"It doesn't have to be like a proper date!" Alfred insisted, "We can go to that pub again. That one Feliks owns."

"I don't know, Alfred..."

"Please. I just wanna get off the ship and spend some time with you!" Alfred pleaded and he took hold of Arthur's hands in his own, giving him the best 'kicked-puppy' look he could muster. Arthur found himself cracking under the strain; that look was just too cute—what was he saying? Oh god, he was going soft...

"Oh fine... we'll go to that pub and that pub only. And only for a little while. We'll go when I say so and we'll leave when I say so. And you're to behave at all times and if you so much as try to kiss me, I will kill you, bring you back to life just so I can kill you again. Understood?"

"Yes! Thanks Arthur!" Alfred grinned and planted a wet kiss on Arthur's cheek happily.

"All right, all right, now get off me, you git!"

* * *

A/N: So Francis has planned something nasty with Ivan and Alfred wants to go on a date. Disaster? Perhaps. xD

Wow, it's been, like, four months since I've updated this and I'm SO sorry. I guess I just lost inspiration for it but I refuse to let it go unfinished. I will try and update this as often as I can but my energy seems to be going to BWAC lately. However I want to finish this story first but I have no idea how long it's going to be. I still have three different story-lines going on in this OTL

Anyway, thanks for all of you who have reviewed lately and I'm sorry it's taken so long. Please continue to review and I will get the next chapter done asap :)

~Iggy.


End file.
